Once upon a Christmas Eve
by ktx
Summary: As the stone causes ripples, and ripples become waves, so to does tragedy create events which threaten to consume the crew of the Nirvana. What should have been bceomes impossible, yet can the impossible become what should be? Meia+Hibiki *Chapter 4 out!*
1. Aniversaries and memories

Once upon a Christmas Eve – A Vandread fanfiction by KW 

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the characters of trademarks that deal with Vandread the anime. Those rights are owned by Gonzo. I however do own this story, and will not appreciate plagiarism. 

Author's Note: Italics are used for memories/ flashbacks. 

Sleep would not come to Hibiki Tokai this night. 

Hibiki sighed. It was like this on most nights, but usually he would be able to push the memories aside and fall asleep... But tonight wasn't any night. It was Christmas Eve. 

To many, this night represented a lot of things, a time of celebration, of hope regardless of circumstances, as could be seen by the party currently in progress, the same party he had excused himself from. To him it bore a different meaning. It represented an anniversary of sorts. Ironically, what should have brought joy only brought pain, and the anniversary marked something which he could never celebrate, only mourn. 

_"You see these scars here? I got them during battle." The leader of the Bangata squadron had said during the final confrontation with Earth's Harvest fleet, "Don't go telling me what to do until you have scars of your own."_

That was then, and now Hibiki had more than his fair share of scars; however most of them were of the emotional variety: the ones which hurt for far longer and far more than the physical type, the ones which could never be forgotten. 

He had matured a lot since he had first arrived on the Nirvana, all those years ago. Back then he had been a scrawny kid who had thought himself a man… But that was then. No longer could he be considered scrawny, as now he stood as one of the tallest on the Nirvana. The growth spurt did mean that a change in wardrobe was necessary; he hadn't been able to fit into his old orange and black flight suit in two years. 

But neither was the greatest difference to be found in his height, or his new appearance. 

His greatest change lay in his heart. Wisdom brought about by the trials he had endured during the Harvest had increased greatly, and he no longer could be called rash or foolish. With wisdom, came understanding, and with understanding a greater appreciation for the people who he had come to call his friends, yet even with all this, he still felt very much a fool when it came to his emotions. Especially when it involved expressing them to a certain individual. 

_"Uchuujin-san!"_

He had always found that name annoying, and on most occasions the person who said it, but he also could not deny the fact that some of his happiest memories were when she had been with him. Ironic, that in all the time that they had spent together, he had never told her that he cared about her. True there had been that one time during the war where he had almost finished saying it… But that didn't count. 

_"Yosha!" Hibiki said, grinning as he stepped out into the brightly lit hallway. In a few hours, Christmas would arrive… He couldn't wait to give Dita her Christmas present. _

_The thin band of metal felt cool to his touch. _

_Having noticed how Jura had reacted when Barnette had given her one for her birthday, he figured that it was something that women found special, and resolved to get a special one for Dita. With that in mind, he had contacted Rabat on acquiring one that Dita would have liked._

_Hours of frustration, and the occasional swear word later; he had found the perfect one. Yet the small ring of gold was only half of the gift he had planned. Finally he was going to tell her that he liked her… This time nothing was going to interrupt halfway. _

If only he had known that indeed something was going to happen. 

Unconsciously, he clutched the pillow that she had made for him when the Nirvana was first formed. Back then he had thought her crazy, constantly chasing him around shouting "Uchuujin-san!" 

Yet he came to realize that there was much more to Dita Liebely than her obsession over aliens. 

_"How can you keep on grinning at a time like this?!" He yelled at Dita. Gascogne was dead, and here she was trying to cheer him up with a hand puppet of all things! _

_"But... I don't know." Dita had quietly replied, her grin quickly disappearing as a forlorn look took its place. "I don't know how I should act during times of sadness…" _

But she had been wrong. She did know how to deal with grief—much better than he ever could. Even after twelve months, he was still unable to cry... he just couldn't release the emotions which ricocheted inside him. 

"Look at me now, Dita. Now that you're gone, I'm the one who doesn't know how to act…" He whispered, the words falling unheard in his empty room. 

***** 

_"Leader!" Dita shouted as she ran down the corridor, "Look what I got Uchuujin-san for a Christmas present! I hope Uchuujin-san is going to like my present!" _

_"I'm sure he'll love it." Meia replied, smiling softly as the younger girl continued jabbering about how she was going to get her "Uchuujin-san" to open her Christmas present exactly at twelve this year. For some reason, he always seemed to fall asleep before midnight—unintentionally of course. Ironically, it was usually searching for Dita's present which caused him to exhaust himself, much to his chagrin, as he always complained about missing the food. _

In her sleep, Meia turned, her subconscious trying to wake her up, trying to help her escape those memories. Yet, it was in vain, as sleep retained a firm grip on the young woman and she continued to dream, to remember... 

_It was a ship no bigger than a dread, which made its passage through the magnetic storm quite remarkable. Even more perplexing than that however, was that the ship, or whatever it was, had somehow gotten through both the automated minefield, and the border patrols from both Mejerr and Tarak. _

_It was not moving without a purpose however, as slowly but surely, it headed for where the Nirvana was stationed._

_"Entering visual range now… ", Meia reported. The unknown ship resembled a three dimensional diamond, and had it not been glowing with an eerie red light, she wouldn't have considered it threatening in the slightest. _

_"Is that what you dragged Jura out to look at??" Jura was obviously, very unimpressed by the ship's mundane look. "Jura wants to spend Christmas eve with Barnette, not out here with **that!**" _

_Dita however seemed to be even more impatient than Jura was as she fidgeted in her seat. "Dita still hasn't given Uchuujin-san his Christmas present! Dita doesn't want to be late for the countdown…"_

_Hibiki however remained uncharacteristically quiet, not even bothering to snap back at Dita's calling him "Uchuujin-san". Something about the ship just didn't seem right; he'd felt that something very bad was going to happen from the moment they had been given the orders to investigate the ship_

_"That red glow… I've seen it before…" He whispered._

_Meia silently noted Hibiki's discomfort. It was unlike him to be so solemn when given the chance to battle. He was usually the most gung-ho of all of them. Making a note to ask him about it later, she decided that they had lingered long enough._

_"Something isn't right here…" Meia whispered, before switching on the intercom, "Hibiki, Jura, try to capture that ship in your shields." _

Meia bolted upright, her face covered with sweat. 

"Already a year has passed…" She whispered, before pushing off her covers. She really needed some fresh air. 

_*****_

_"Something isn't right here…" Meia whispered, before switching on the intercom, "Hibiki, Jura, try to capture that ship in your shields." _

_"Roger." echoed Jura and Hibiki. _

_Attempting to capture the ship had been their first mistake. _

_As Vandread Jura came into range to activate its shields, a scarlet beam of energy lanced out from the diamond, striking the crablike vandread head on, causing it to revert back to Hibiki's vanguard and Jura's dread. Mere seconds later, a second beam followed, flying unerringly towards Hibiki's cream and yellow mecha._

_…That was until Dita's blue dread got in the way… _

_Thrusters blazing, Dita flew her dread straight into the enemy's line of fire, firing her own cannons in the process. _

_For the pilots turned spectators, time seemed to stretch as they watched the power struggle between the blue dread and the red diamond. Red energy crackled as it met its green counterpart, and for that instant they were perfectly equal. Perhaps, had the others joined in at that moment, it would have ended differently. But those precious few seconds led to the greatest loss that the crew of the Nirvana ever incurred. The diamond self destructed, surrounding itself and Dita's blue dread with unholy red energy. _

_In those last wretched seconds, Dita's face acted as a beacon of calm in the hell that surrounded her: a small smile lit her face as she uttered the last words they would ever hear from her._

_"Dita will always do her best to protect Uchuujin-san… Gomen-nasai Uchuujin-san, Dita won't be able to give you your Christmas present this year…" _

_And then all that remained of Dita Liebely, the most sincere person on the Nirvana, sister to all, and something more to one, was a horrible emptiness, and memories that would haunt them forever… _

***** 

Her footsteps seemed much too loud in the quiet that permeated the hallways of the Nirvana. Almost all of the crew had gone to the Christmas party, they having decided to throw the biggest party ever in memory of Dita, she had not felt like rejoicing and excused herself by saying that she wasn't feeling well. There were too many things that she didn't want to remember, yet even sleep could not protect her from those memories. 

Meia really did not know what she was supposed to do. For most of her life, she had always held people at arms length, believing that to care for others, to have important people in her life would make her dependant on others, would make her weak. 

Then the Harvest war happened. 

Having had no other choice but to rely on others to survive—including the men, changed her. Looking back now, she hadn't even been aware that she had been changing, yet now she could hardly imagine a life without the crew of the Nirvana, the people who she had fought alongside with, had eaten with, fell in love with... 

Then Dita just had to go get herself killed. The ensuing pain had been incredible, and she had fallen into a state of shock. But irrespective of the emotions that threatened to run loose, she remained calm… to some it almost as if she did not care. 

_"Didn't she mean anything to you?!" Hibiki had shouted at her the day after it happened. "Why can't you show some damn emotions? Anything but that damned indifference!!!_

But he didn't understand, no one did. To let go of her emotions, and allow all that clawed within her to be expressed…She couldn't, not after the last time she had allowed that to happen. 

_Pain... _

She had never gotten the chance to say sorry to her fama. After the words she had said that night… the anger at her Ohma… she spoke rashly, lashing out… and before she ever got the chance to say sorry, her Fama had died making sure she got away. 

Emotions… No, she had not been able to control them then, and the only result was the guilt of never being able to apologize. She could not risk having that happen again, yet that didn't mean the pain wasn't as real for her as it was for them. 

Especially this night. 

"And anniversaries are supposed to be events to be looked forward too." Meia said,;her normally quiet voice tinged with cynicism. 

Dita… many times Meia had found herself confounded by the red haired girl. Her cheerfulness, her ability to stay cheerful when everyone else had long given up, her lack of restraint when it came to expressing her feelings, Meia never understood how Dita had managed to nurture those characteristics; and in many ways had been envious of her. 

_ "…you don't know a good thing till it's gone…"_

It had been a line from the chorus of a song that had originated from the home of their ancestors and now birthplace of all their troubles. Regardless, the truth behind those words struck her mental controls like a sledgehammer. 

"Merry Christmas indeed…" She whispered as the quiet of the hallways bore silent witness to the turmoil inside her mind. 

***** 

The sound of stones hitting water tore her out of her thoughts. 

Looking around, she noticed that she had unknowingly walked to the shore of the lake in the Nirvana's garden, and that she was not alone. Not further than ten feet from her, sat Hibiki, legs crossed in his trademark position. He regarded her for a moment before returning his attention to throwing stones into the lake. 

*Plop* 

"Couldn't sleep too huh?" He said quietly, the taunting edge his voice normally contained missing. 

*Plop* 

"No." Meia replied, not feeling like talking. Yet for some reason she did not want to leave either... She did not want to be alone this night. 

*Plop* 

"She would have loved the party they threw tonight. The last thing that baka ever wanted to do was to make all of us sad." Hibiki continued as he motioned to the bridge up above, sounds of the Christmas party drifting down to where they were. "Shouldn't you be up there with the other women?" 

*Plop* 

Meia didn't reply. Motioning with her head, she silently asked whether it was alright if she joined him. Hibiki looked at her, taking a moment to understand her request before nodding his consent. And in a rare show of maturity and understanding, he remained silent as he turned back to face the lake. He picked up another stone and tossed it into the lake. Meia followed suit. 

*Plop* 

*Plop* 

And in the ensuing silence, broken only by the repetitive sounds of stone hitting water and the joyful whispers from the celebration happening above them, two people found a moment's respite from memories of what they had lost, yet never mourned, the year before on a fateful Christmas Eve. 

Authors Notes: Well, firstly I should say that I did not plan for this story to become a Christmas one. However, that's the way it turned out... But I digress. 

I wrote this fic originally to be the first chapter of a Meia and Hibiki series. Looking at this chapter, I think this is a pretty decent standalone don't you think? But never fear… I ain't done yet. I have an awesome idea of how I'm going to end this series, but how I'm going to get there… Well we'll all have to just wait and see =D 

One final note, there isn't much "romance" yet, simply because, I've come to realize the sheer amount of character development required for a relationship between the two to work is quite substantial. (Much thanks to feedback from the Vandread Fanfic Mailing list) 

Anyways, till next time. I hope you enjoyed my story, and I promise I am not done yet. 

LaterZ 

K 


	2. Ripples

Hibiki silently observed his companion through the corner of his eye. 

Hugging both of her knees to her chest, she sat, deep in thought; her expression unreadable to the young man. Yet it wasn't her usual calm and confident one, no, it seemed uncertain, almost as if…

Almost as if she was sad…

Then again, he understood. He wasn't exactly jumping for joy tonight either. Absently picking up another stone, he tossed the smooth grey pebble into the lake- almost as if trying to throw his own pain into the luminous blue depths. 

*Plop*

Once upon a Christmas Eve – A Vandread fanfiction by KW

Disclaimer – I don't own Vandread, the characters of vandread or any other trademark of the series. I do however own this story and will look very unkindly on plagiarism of any sort. 

A.N. -Bold, centered text is the spirits/pexis talking

Italics are memories 

*Plop*

The ripples fascinated her. How something so small could affect something so much larger than itself…

Meia idly wondered whether if she was a stone, how big the effect of her passing through would be. 

*Plop*

"Would I make ripples, or would I just fall unnoticed…" She whispered to herself, yet loud enough to catch the attention of her companion. He turned his head slightly to face her, a silent question on his face- sufficiently vague so that she understood without having to be obliged to answer.

She chose not to.

"It's quiet, I can't hear the others anymore…" Meia said softly, changing the subject. She did not particularly feel like sharing her thoughts with anyone, especially given the intensity of her emotions earlier that night. 

"Yeah, they finished about an hour ago." Hibiki replied, brown eyes studying green for an instant before returning their gaze to the water. "You should head to bed as well. Christmas or no Christmas, there's still many things to be done."

Meia hesitated for a moment, worried that she had somehow insulted him by what she had said, or rather what she had not said. The moment passed however, as she realized that there was no anger evident in his voice. 

"Good night Hibiki." Meia said quietly as she stood up and walked slowly away, Shaking her head slightly, she couldn't help feeling as if she had just missed out on something very important, but what exactly that important thing was, she did not know.

"Meia would make waves." Hibiki whispered once he was sure she had left. "Just like Dita made waves." Another stone was sent flying into the blue expanse of the lake.

*Plop*

*****

. 

It was a dream, one that He'd not had since the Harvest war.

He found himself floating in endless myriad of green, almost as if he was within the Pexis itself- the place of the spirits.

**Lost… something irreplaceable…**

Images of Dita suddenly surrounded him, a blur of all his memories of her, flashing by as if someone was holding down the fast forward button. Yet out of the blur, one stood out, one that he had forgotten. 

_"Dita's going to protect Uchuujin-san! Because Dita loves Uchuujin-san! That's why… That's why Dita's going to protect Hibiki!"_

He gasped as those simple words reopened a scar untouched by the previous night's musings.

**Trials forgotten… **

The image of Dita faded as a new one took its place. Hibiki now watched as a younger him made his way up a mountain, the first time he had gone to the place of the spirits.

_"It's pitiful, but I can't live alone. I can barely scratch out a living being supported by a lot of people."_

**_Those are you friends, something precious_**

_"Yes, they're all troublesome, but because they're there I can be myself. I can't lose any of them because I wouldn't be myself anymore."_

Hibiki shook his head, trying to stop the dream, but it continued…

_"If I were stronger, If I had more strength, I could help everyone._

And as it continued, he found his very own words tearing at his soul…

_"There are people who believe in me! For them… to protect them… I'm going to fight!"_

**_That is why you live, that is your proof of life_**

_"Yes! That is the proof that I live!"_

** The proof that you live… so what if you fail?**

Hibiki did not know what to say in reply. He couldn't deny the truth of the simple statement. He had fought, yet he still failed, he had not been strong enough to protect her. 

**Vengeance, is that what you seek?**

"Yes!" Hibiki roared in reply, the answer obvious, "I want to destroy them all!"

**Red the color of doubt, the color of your enemy.**

Hibiki gasped as a form appeared in front of him, one that he thought he would never see again. So shocked was he, that he did not realize the voices of the spirits becoming silent, and in their place, she spoke.

**"Red, the color of your very own soul."**

*****

The wooden dummy groaned under the assault, yet Meia did not relent. She had always retreated to the gym when her emotions had threatened to spillover, yet last night… 

"Why?" She puffed out, as she struck the dummy with another solid punch to its midsection. 

Why did she choose to stay at the lake with him?

Another solid punch…

She could have very easily have turned around and left. Could have gone to the gym and worked off her emotions…

And another…

Or had she been lonely, could have gone to the party, to be surrounded by people…. 

And another…

So why?

Assaulted with questions she could not answer, she engrossed herself on using the wooden dummy as an outlet for the frustration. So focused was she on her own inner turmoil that pain did not register to her, the bruising to her knuckles a testament to this fact. So engrossed was she that she didn't even notice as someone walked into the room.

Didn't notice the sad expression on the other person's face…

"Ara, ara," Gascogne whispered.

*****

Magno sighed as she switched off the view screen. The decision had been made, yet for all her worth, she wondered whether it was the right one.

Even the memories of the Christmas Eve party the night before did little to alleviate her mood, and that was saying something. The party had been one to remember, quite possibly the greatest that had ever been held in the Nirvana, but that had been the idea after all. It was a party that Dita would have been proud of; mirth filled the bridge, and smiles found aplenty as the crewmembers reminisced about Dita's exploits of old.

Still, two people who should have been there with them were absent. But she understood their reasons. 

_"You two are more similar than you realize. The only difference being whether you let things out or not."_

She had said that in what seemed like a long time ago, but it still rang true. Especially after last Christmas… Out of all the crew, they had been hit the hardest, and among the crew, were the two least able to handle their pain. 

Ever since it happened, Meia had retreated back to her old shell, minimizing contact with everyone, and when conversation was necessary it was sharp and straight to the point. It had gotten so bad that the newer crew members, especially the men who had come aboard after the war, had referred to her as the "ice queen". 

Hibiki's reaction on the other hand had been as extreme as Meia's, just on the other side of the spectrum. Where Meia's had isolated herself from everyone, he had just been downright explosive. Vengeance became the driving force in his life, the very same vengeance which remained unfulfilled as the monster that killed Dita had destroyed itself with her. So it turned itself towards the next possible target – Earth. 

After the incident, he had spent as much time as possible to gather information on Earth. Every possible source of information he could get, he hunted down. Time passed, and Magno had hoped that he had given up his vendetta and allowed himself to grieve as he should. Yet it turned out otherwise as almost ten months after that fateful Christmas he had calmly walked into her room and confronted her. 

_"I want to call a meeting of the elders." Hibiki said in a cool and collected tone, yet as Magno looked at him, she realized how false a disguise that tone really was. Shining though his eyes was anger so intense it stunned her._

She had been very thankful at that moment that he had decided to seek her out in her office. The others were still dealing with their own grief, and did not need to have Hibiki's anger added upon that. More so as he had an uncanny habit of causing people to follow after him..

_"What is this about?" Magno replied nonchalantly, "Meetings are only called in times of utmost need, and there hasn't been such need since the harvest war."_

_"Don't play games with me. I've long outgrown the age where they work." Hibiki bit back, anger seeping into his words. "You know as well as I do what this is about."_

_"And so what if I do?" She replied, meeting his anger with irritation of her own, "Who do you think you are? Calling the first generation into council just so that you can fulfill some personal vendetta?!"_

_"The threat is real Magno" He said simply, all anger leaving his voice, and his face taking on an expression which made him seem much older than his nineteen years, "We've already lost someone special and I am not about to sit back and let those fuckers kill the people I care about.. I will not have someone else I know die right before my eys thanks to those monsters. "_

_Magno remained silent for a moment studying the man who sat in front of her; realizing for the first time how much he had changed since the time, years back, where he had tried to persuade her that Meia was not a good leader. All that had got him was a stint in the register. _

_"Fine, so be it." Magno relented, looking at the young man before her, her opinion of him changed, "But you, and you alone will bring the topic to the council. " _

_He simply nodded._

Magno sighed; the discussions were long, and it had come down to a deadlock- with her holding the only remaining vote. Days became weeks, and weeks, months until she finally decided and her vote made. Thus it was done, the decision won by a majority of one.

And now she had to inform the crew of the monumental event which had occurred, a task that brought her no joy. She was old, and had only wished for her final years to be ones of peace. Yet this dream was crushed as events and consequences demanded otherwise. 

Hibiki had gotten his wish, and preparations had to be made- the offensive had begun

Authors Notes – And now we really begin. This chapter isn't as much chapter two as it is a finishing of chapter one. It sets out the direction that my story will be taking, and basically serves almost as a prologue along with my first chapter.

Either way, rest assured the next one will be longer, and I will definitely begin on the foundations of the romance, although this chapter covered an important part as well. Oh and you can all look forward to the battle scene that I have planned for next chapter, it's going to be a doozy!

I hope you've enjoyed my latest installment, and once more I say, till next time! The story has only just begun

K


	3. Scenes from a life

"A dream…" Hibiki whispered, staring blankly at the ceiling, "Only a dream…" Yet he found little comfort in those words. "The place of the spirits" was not an illusion; he knew that much for sure… it transcended dreams, a reality as real as the bunk he now laid on, the very air he breathed.

Yet how could it be?

Dita was dead, and once you were dead…

What then? 

He had always figured there was nothing at the other side of death. So how could she have been in his "dream"? 

Growling, Hibiki punched the wall in frustration. It just did not make sense. And he couldn't just deny that the whole thing had ever happened, for he still heard her words, as clearly as he had in his dream…

**_"Red, the color of your very own soul…"_**

Once upon a Christmas Eve – A Vandread Fanfiction by KW

Disclaimer- Ok, you know how the deal goes… I don't own anything that is related to Vandread, or its characters, but I DO own this story and will not appreciate plagiarism.

AN: _Italics _represent memories/thoughts

Okashira – Boss = I used this term because it works better with the general feel of things.

"You keep that up and you won't be able to use your hands you know?" Gascogne said, having seen enough of Meia's assault on the wooden dummy. Her words got the desired result as Meia stopped, whirling around as she finally realized that she wasn't alone. 

In the moment that followed, Gascogne saw something that she had not seen on Meia's features for a very long time. Yet in a heartbeat it was gone, so fast that she almost questioned whether she had seen anything. Almost.

"Is there anything you want?" Meia asked, her tone neutral.

"No, I just heard someone in here, so I came to look." Gascogne said, as she leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed in front of her. "You really should let Duero look at your hands you know; in a few hours they are going to be so swollen you won't be able to close your fists."

"I see. Thank you for your concern." Meia replied coolly before walking past Gascogne and out into the corridor. She stopped however as Gascogne grabbed onto her arm as she passed by, her grip firm. 

"Running away will not solve anything, and you can only run so far." Gascogne quietly said, her face mere inches from Meia's ear, "Tell me, what happens when you run out of places to run to?"

"I am not running away." Meia icily replied, not even turning to face her captor. "Now, would you please let go of my arm?" 

"What happens when you run out of road?" Gascogne repeated as she complied, but Meia did not reply. Rather, she walked away, not even acknowledging that Gascogne had said anything.

"Ara, ara." Gascogne sighed as she watched Meia's quickly disappearing form. "Life is never easy…"

*****

Magno stared out the window of her office, watching the stars twinkle, beacons of light through the inky blackness. Two days had passed since Christmas, and already she felt old, very old. 

"A decision had to be made…" Magno whispered, trying to find solace in what she knew to be the truth, yet none was found. It did not change the fact that she had made a decision that could very well be their undoing, hundreds of lives lost because she had voted yes. Yet to have voted no could have led to even more bloodshed. 

She understood, painfully well the burdens of a leader, and those she bore because she understood as well that should she not do it, someone less suited would have to; and that could very well be disastrous. _Yet, to have to make a decision like this… _

Magno sighed. Yes, she understood the burdens of leadership _much_ too well.

"B.C., do you think we are doing the right thing?" She asked without turning from the window. She knew her second in command had been standing there for some time, watching her, "Are we all dooming ourselves?"

"Okashira, the council has decided, you have decided." Buzam replied in her usual professional tone, "Whether it is the right choice, or the wrong choice doesn't really make a difference now. It has been decided." 

"I know. I know." She should have expected as much, Buzam's military training birthed an amazingly capable vice-commander, yet also made for too logical a person at times. And logic was a very cold thing. "If you don't mind I'd like to be alone for awhile" 

Buzam nodded and turned for the door. ""Regrets are for when we've gone and done what we needed to be done, not before we've even begun our journey. Everything will work out in the end; have faith in him, he hasn't let us down yet."

***** 

Pyoro floated around the halls of the Nirvana, silently observing the people that roamed its many halls. For the little Navi-robot, things were a lot different from what they used to be. Where once the population of the ship had been mostly women, now thanks to the reintegration effort that had been undertaken, the proportions of men was significantly higher, almost making one third of the crew. 

With such a change in the crew, things were bound to happen, and the part of Pyoro which was linked to the Pexis found it all very intriguing. For example, the time when he had witnessed the little argument between Paiway and Parfet concerning the affections of a certain long haired doctor. That little event had been greatly interesting. So to, had been the time where Barnette had to literally drag Jura away from some poor soul who had just arrived from Taraku. It was not his fault that he had been particularly good looking. 

But as interesting the interactions been between the sexes, he still found himself constantly amazed by Pyoro-2, or as Ezra so persistently insisted, Karu. The child had been of much interest to the droid, and he greatly disliked the fact that Ezra had insisted the Karu spend more time with her parents. 

Still, it had been a time of great learning, for Pyoro, and through him the pexis. 

Then things started changing again. Following Dita's death, the crew had all been affected, and it really intrigued him that one person had been able to have such an effect on the many. Even he, a machine, had wished that it had not happened. Yet this event revealed a whole new side of human nature that he had not seen before. Humans grew from pain just as much as they grew from happiness. 

It had been an interesting discovery for the last remaining Navi droid, and as he watched the faces of the people passing by him; from those who stopped and said Hi to those that simply ignored him, he wondered what new aspect of humanity he would learn next. 

For the pexis felt it, and through it, he to felt it; another change was coming.

***** 

Hibiki grumbled slightly as he polished his Vanguard.

_"We will be leaving as soon as all preparations have been made; estimated time- two weeks from now. Until then all crew members except a skeleton crew will be given leave. Enjoy yourselves…" _

Most of the crew had taken advantage of the impromptu holiday, and returned to their respective homes; the newer recruits being the most enthusiastic of them all. However, Hibiki did not join in their enthusiasm. By some obscure twist of fate, if you could call pulling some strings an obscure twist of fate, he happened to be included in the skeleton crew. 

"Then again, it's not like I have anywhere to go…" He resignedly sighed as he studied his distorted reflection on the armour of his Vanguard.

*****

Misty looked nervously around as she stepped off the shuttle, feeling very much out of place While not being Mejerr, the pirate's main base was still a sight to behold. From the vantage point of the landing pad, the base seemed to buzz with life, a veritable lightshow of people getting on with their everyday lives. And to be honest, she found herself quite intimidated by it all.

The few times she had gone out of the Nirvana, whether it be to Mejerr or the base, Misty couldn't help but feel apprehensive towards being surrounded by so many strangers. True, on the whole, they were all very friendly; yet she still couldn't help but feel out of place. It had been the exact same feeling as when she had first arrived onto the Nirvana. The thing was, her greatest fear was to be alone, and when surrounded by people she didn't know, she could help but feel alone. But things change, and in her own way, so had she.

Misty turned away from the view to ask her travelling companion a question, only to find that Meia had already left. "Onee-san, wait up!" At least she wasn't alone...

*****

Meia sighed as she opened the door to her room. Finally she could be alone for awhile; Misty had gone to her allotted room for a quick rest. It wasn't that she did not like being with Misty, far from it. After all, over the years, a sisterly bond had developed between them; it was just that it was even harder to stay distant from someone who she did care about- even harder knowing that Misty realized her intentions, yet was not willing to be pushed away that easily. 

Sighing, Meia looked around the room, a wave of nostalgia rolling over her. Simple, undecorated and functional in every way, this room was a testament to her character. She could remember the times, long before the Nirvana ever existed, when she had hid herself within the very same walls. Things had been simple then; she never let people know her heart, never got hurt … 

Yet she knew that to be a lie. While others had not hurt her, she had hurt herself, slowly drowning in hatred at her very own being. _So why have you gone back to the way you once were?_

"I don't know…" Meia murmured, unable to answer her own question. She found that happened a lot in the past few days. The answers that once she would have been perfectly satisfied with, now rang false in her mind, and cracks had begun to form within the walls that she had raised. All because of one night., sitting by the lakeside with him, doing something as pointless as throwing pebbles into the lake. What's more, they had hardly spoken during the whole thing… yet for the first time since Dita died, she did not feel so alone. That she had not needed to bear the pain by herself. 

It had felt nice. 

****

*Plop*

Hibiki watched as the stone sailed into the water. For some reason, the simple act of throwing pebbles into the water always seemed to help him think; and considering he had nothing else to do BUT think at this point, this seemed the logical thing to do. 

_"Hibiki Tokai, but for what reasons have you called us to council?" Zed asked, looking bemusedly at his son who scowled at the condescending tone Zen used. To his credit however, Hibiki kept his calm as he gathered himself._

_"I have called you all here to make a proposal." Hibiki announced, his voice firm even though he doubted his own capacity to speak. "I propose we make an offensive strike on Earth." _

_Murmurs of outrage rippled through the room as the implications of Hibiki's words set in, but Hibiki stood unfazed by this. He had come for a reason, and he was nt going to back down. This would be the proof of Hibiki Tokai, that he could once more defend those he held dear._

*Plop* 

_"Do we dare to risk an offensive?" Annie, otherwise known on Mejerr as Grandma asked, "Peace has finally settled between our worlds, and our reintegration between the men and women has been progressing nicely. To throw all that away at some invisible threat is sheer folly!"_

_"So what do you suggest we do?" Hibiki fired back, "Hide and pretend that everything is fine? Wait for them to bring war onto your doorsteps before you will even DO anything? _

_No danger?! Dita's dead thanks to those monsters! If we don't do anything this is going to happen all over again! I don't want to see that. Everyone, my friends, I don't want to see them die!!!"_

The hardest part of the whole affair had been the council's reluctance to act. He had found himself having to defend against every single objection that they brought up, and they had many to raise. Still, vengeance drove him and anger gave him the words to say.

_"Who are you to suggest such an insane proposition?!" Dagu, a balding man who had lost an eye in an accident on the original Ikazuchi, sneered. "You a mere child asking us to declare war? And for what? Just because the Earthlings broke your favourite toy!"_

_"DITA IS NOT A TOY!" Hibiki exploded. The meeting had pushed him to his limit and Dagu's comment had pushed him over the edge…_

Thankfully relief came from an unexpected source.

_"Enough." Jin, Hibiki's "grandpa" stood out of the shadows. Standing tall, he regarded Hibiki for a moment before speaking. "Hibiki, I think you've had to say enough today. Let others speak as well." Before Hibiki could cut back however, Jin placed a heavy hand on the younger man's shoulder, silencing him. He then turned to regard the others gathered. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm an old man and this seems to be taking much longer than it should."_

_"By no fault of ours. Hibiki is the one who refuses to relent." Zen retorted. He too was beginning to tire of this. _

_"Don't speak as if I am not here!" Hibiki bit back, about to explode once more. Before he could however, Jin gave Hibiki's shoulder a firm squeeze, motioning him to remain silent._

In hindsight, he was very grateful for that. That simple action had kept him from saying anything he probably would have regretted.

_Zen continued, totally disregarding Hibiki's outburst. "Defending ourselves against the harvest is one thing… but to actually suggest we attack Earth? That is lunacy! Even if we could attack them hard enough to do any lasting damage, could we? To our own homeland?" _

*Plop*

If he had a stone at the time he probably would have thrown it at the obstinate old man. If he had a couple more, he would probably have thrown it at the rest of them as well. But Jin's reply accomplished much more than what a mere stones could have.

_"Homeland?" Jin retorted "True that was where we all came from, but Earth has stopped being our homes for a long time now. Home is where people are. It is not some piece of land floating in space. Tarak and Mejerr are our homes now. Homes we have built up with our own efforts, our own sacrifices. And now Earth has returned to threaten our homes once more."_

_Pausing for a moment so as to allow the maximum impact of his words, Jin continued, "We only really have two choices, attack or defend. Attack and perhaps we may catch them off guard. Defend and we'll eventually be facing a fully mobilized army. One that already knows ALL our strengths and weaknesses. "_

In the end, it had somehow ended in a deadlock, and the decision put indefinitely on hold until the final vote was cast. Yet he did not begrudge Magno for withholding her vote; he understood that it was not an easy choice for her to make. 

*Plop*

Idly, he wondered whether he himself had made the right decision by pursuing war. 

*****

"Misty onee-san!!!" 

Karu's voice interrupted Misty's train of thought; not that she really minded. She had been trying to make some sense of Meia's reluctance to meet Karu, today having been the second time she had avoided doing so.

"Misty onee-san!!!" 

Misty grinned as she saw Karu waddling towards her, pudgy arms outstretched for a hug. Laughing, she decided that some thoughts were better left for later as she scooped up the now three year old toddler, brimming with the boundless energy that children of her age seemed to possess. "Hello, Karu-chan! How are you today?" 

"Fama got me ice-cream!! And it was so yummy, and I ate and ate, but then Ohma got grumpy because I got all dirty… it was fun!!!" The little toddler squirmed in Misty's arms, looking around as if trying to find something "Where is Meia onee-san? You said she would come today…. I want to see Meia onee-san!!!"

"Oh. She's busy today so she couldn't come, but she asked me to give you this!" Misty smoothly lied as she pulled out a lollipop from a pocket and placed into the eager hands of the child. Looking up from the now distracted child, Misty mouthed a sorry to Ezra, who nodded and gave Misty an understanding smile. Meia's introversion since Dita's death had not gone unnoticed by her and Ezra only hoped that Meia would come to her senses soon. For both her and Karu's. sakes After all, Karu thought the world of Meia and really missed her. Meia, on the hand, had almost made it a point not to see the child since Dita's demise. 

"Come on Karu-chan… lets go play on the swings ok?" Ezra cooed as she took one of the toddler's tiny hands, before giving Misty another soft smile; one that Misty gladly returned. Karu giggled with excitement, oblivious to the communication between her mother and her blue haired "onee-san". After all, as she would put it, swings were her "favouritest" thing in the whole world, second only to mountains of chocolate chip ice cream.

*****

Dagu looked at the report before him. They had unanimously agreed, he would be the perfect candidate to carry out their objectives. General Kiros MacDonnell, head of the intelligence division of Taraku, his loyalty to the nation was unquestionable, unlike that traitorous Uragasumi Tenmei, the spy that they had sent into the Nirvana. He even continued his charade of being a woman after they had discovered him, calling himself by his alias, Buzam Calessa.

Still that was a minor thing compared to what Hibiki had done. In one day, he had totally destroyed the scenario that the elders had agreed on. All had been going to plan, back before the Harvest war; they wee long prepared for the Harvest and the third and second generations were ripe for harvesting. Of course when the Earth had left, those of the first generation who remained asleep would be awakened, to a world already prepared. It would have been that simple. 

But Hibiki had come and changed everything. He had swayed the vote, and they had ended up fighting the Harvest Fleet. Thankfully they had won, but ever since they heard of the destruction of one of the special dreads, the council had realised that Earth would return. Seeking revenge, not organs. This had caused many hours of fretting for him and the others in the council who he collaborated with, the council within the council. 

Then while they still found themselves without an answer, that boy had the gall to suggest something as foolish as attacking Earth first. At first they had been against it, after all it was utter foolishness to bait an angry bear. Yet, as they had deliberated during the final recess, it became clear that the fool's errand of attacking earth could very well be an opportunity that they could exploit. Indeed, the more they had considered it, the more promising it became. 

Dagu chuckled, the boy probably thought that it had been his ineffective speaking or even Jin's monologue which had swung the vote. The fool would probably be shocked to know that it was them who had made it possible. 

"Ahem" A tall man with shaggy black hair stood at attention at the doorway, his posture stiff. "Commander Kiros reporting for briefing."

"At ease, Commander." Dagu smoothly replied, absentmindedly smiling as he studied the man before him. This was the man who would ensure that this time the scenario would go _exactly_ as they wished. "Please sit down, we have much to talk about."

A.n. AHHH FINALLY I'M DONE!!! And I could have it a lot sooner if SOMEONE had pre-red faster. *stares at nameless pre-reader* But anyway… hope you guys enjoyed this instalment. This story has actually taken a turn which I didn't actually plan, and for that I gotta thank ViolentS for his feedback on it. Either way, hope you guys still want to see my ugly mug producing chapters =D 

P.s. Yeah I know I said there was going to be a battle scene this chapter… well I lied *grinz* sue me ! all joking aside, that's part of what I meant when I said this chapter took a turn I hadn't expected. I actually separated my original chapter into two… but more on that next time~ 

(Oh and I'll finally get the mush scenes out by next chapter… finally at a point where I can snap Meia outta the funk I put her in… how I'm gonna do that? You gotta read my next chapter to find out!)

Till LaterZ

K


	4. Tumbling down

"Misty Onee-san!!! Lookee!!!"

Misty chuckled as she watched Karu hung upside down from a set of monkey bars, giggling in never ceasing mirth. Indeed, she found the toddler's enthusiasm to be infectious, as she clapped in appreciation of the child's antics. "Very good Karu-chan! Now just be careful will you?" 

Standing at the nearby ice cream van, with a look of sheer panic on her face, Ezra was obviously not as appreciative of Karu's hijinks as Misty was. ""Karu! Get down from there right now! That's dangerous!" 

Karu only took one glance at her mother before making her escape, scampering to the nearby fort; a now even more flustered mother in her wake. Watching all of this, Misty's chuckle became a full-blown laugh; earning her a dirty look from Ezra that said more clearly than words, "Wait till you have one of your own!" 

Later, when the laughter had passed, and the three were now all seated calmly on a bench, Karu now more interested in icecream than in running amok, Misty found herself smiling in contentment. Sitting in the sun, beside mother and daughter, she could not remember such days as these. 

And at that moment all was right in the world for a certain blue haired girl. 

Once upon a Christmas Eve – A Vandread Fiction by KTX 

Disclaimer – check previous chapters for disclaimer 

A.N. – Same ol notes here

_Italics _ = Thoughts/memories 

A.N. part II – Ok, here's a little catch up part for those who have forgotten the setting and where everyone is. Meia/Misty/Karu etc. – Pirate base on two week leave, Hibiki- Nirvana. That pretty much covers the important parts… enjoy people! 

Meia grimaced, the overhead light seeming overly harsh to her newly opened eyes. Looking at her bedside display, she noted that it was well into the early hours of the morning, two a.m. to be exact. Meia yawned as she sinuously stretched out sleep-laden limbs, before deciding that she wanted a drink and stepped out of bed. 

Feeling more alert after having downed a glass of water, her mind suddenly registered what had woken her up. Someone was quietly knocking on her door. 

***** 

"Onee-san… Are you awake?" 

Misty felt slightly foolish standing outside Meia's door so early in the morning. For all she knew, Meia could very well be asleep and she was just wasting her time. Yet the feeling of bliss had left with Karu and Ezra, and in its wake a question had risen from the back of her mind. It had not left her since and would not allow her to disappear into the blackness of sleep. She had to find the answer, and her chance came as the door to the apartment opened, revealing a very confused Meia. "Misty?" 

"I'm sorry Onee-san… I couldn't sleep," Misty hesitantly said, suddenly realizing how silly she looked, standing outside the door at two am in the morning. "Would you mind going for a walk with me?" 

***** 

Meia found herself wondering why she had EVER assented. They had been walking for at least half an hour now, and Misty had been talking non-stop about Karu and Ezra, and a million other inconsequential things. At the very least it was a nice night… 

"Onee-san," Misty whispered, her tone loosing the somewhat jovial quality it held just a moment ago. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Hmm?" Meia turned to face Misty. Perhaps now Misty's reasons for calling her out would be revealed, and she could return to bed. 

"Why have you been avoiding Karu-chan?" Barely a whisper, Meia had to strain to listen to her words, but upon doing so, wished she did not. 

"Avoiding? I don't know what you're talking about," Meia instinctively replied. Having been caught unawares, the surprise on her face was clearly evident. Running on instinct, her defenses came in place as her face took on a neutral expression. One she had come to use all too often since Dita's death. A faint rumble in the sky warned of an incoming storm, but neither of them heeded the omen. 

Taking a breath to steady herself, Misty continued, her voice wavering slightly. "Then why won't you go see her? She really misses you…" 

"The reasons I do things, are mine alone," Meia replied, her cool calm tone cutting Misty off in mid-sentence. "I'm going back now. Good night." Had not Misty grabbed onto her arm first, she probably would have left right then. 

"Why do you refuse to see Karu-chan?" Misty asked quietly, repeating her question. "I can understand why you might want to push me and everyone else away, but why Karu? She is only a child." 

"I still don't know what you are talking about." Meia did not even turn to face Misty. 

Misty found herself at loss for words. Everything she said was either dodged or ignored, and frustration tore at her already wavering control. "Why won't you even give me a straight answer? What are you so afraid of, Meia?" 

*Crack* 

Hearing her name said with such spite felt as if she had been slapped in the face, and before Meia knew it her left palm was stinging and Misty had let go of her arm. 

"Is that all you can do? Hurt those who care about you?" Misty shouted as her control gave way. She found herself unable to speak as tears began flowing down her cheeks, more from her own frustrations at her inability to reach Meia, then from the stinging on her cheek. "All we want to do is help you, but you keep pushing us away!" 

Choking back a sob, she continued. "What happened to the Onee-san I used to know? The one who smiled as she held Karu-chan in her arms? The one I care about?" 

Meia remained silent for a while, the realities of Misty's words slowly sinking in. Finally she spoke, a dreaded finality to her words. "She died when Dita died." 

Overhead, a single thunderclap heralded the arrival of the storm. 

***** 

It was almost hypnotizing- the way that the pexis seemed to pulse, almost as if it was alive. Ripples flowed across its surface, momentary disturbances of seamless ethereal luminescence. 

Watching the pexis had fast become one of his favorite past times, when he wasn't throwing pebbles in the lake. So much so, that the engineering team generally left him alone, knowing that he preferred it that way. This precedence however, did not apply to a certain Navi droid. 

"What do you want Pyoro?" Hibiki asked, not even bothering to turn around. Every single time that he went to the pexis room to think, it wouldn't be long before Pyoro would make its presence known; much to his irritation.

"What are you doing-pyoro?" 

"Thinking." 

"About what-pyoro?" 

"Go away Pyoro," Hibiki growled, not bothering to hide the menace in his voice. 

A threat which the Navi droid promptly ignored. "But Hibiki always says that-pyoro." 

"I don't want to talk to you." 

"Hibiki always says that to-pyoro." 

"So why are you still here?" 

"What is Hibiki thinking about-pyoro?" 

"That's it!" Hibiki shouted as he turned around in one fluid motion and lunged for the source of his current annoyance. "I'm really going to dismantle you this time!" 

"Is Hibiki thinking about Dita?" 

The words slammed into him like a sledgehammer. In an instant, all his anger left him. Turning around, he rested his elbows on the railing and returned to watching the pexis, Pyoro forgotten. This time, even Pyoro knew that the discussion was over and floated away. 

And among the multitude of greens, a red ripple formed. 

***** 

She was exhausted. Or she would have been had Meia actually paid attention to the signals her body was shouting at her. Rather, her mind was focused on the aftermath of her fateful argument with Misty. Since that night, and it had been five days since, she had been avoiding her. Even now, as they sat on the shuttle back to the Nirvana, Misty was seated as far as she possibly could from her. 

Meia sighed, unable to reconcile her thoughts with her feelings. Her mind told her that this was for the best. After all, this was what she had wanted: to be distant from others? This way Misty had stopped trying to break through her defenses. Behind her walls she would be safe; from hurting others and being hurt by them. Wasn't this the way it should be? 

Yet her heart told her otherwise. 

Was it really for the best? To have lost someone who actually cared enough about her to persist in being her friend, even when she tried to push her away? Who only wanted to see her happy? 

Unable to answer her own questions, Meia closed her eyes and attempted to escape into the freeing emptiness of sleep. 

***** 

It's dark. Meia blinked as she attempted to study her surroundings, yet she could barely make out the outline of her outstretched hand. Tentatively walking forwards, she searched for an exit, an escape from the now oppressive darkness. 

**"Why do you hurt me?" **A voice spoke up from her left. 

Meia spun around, falling instinctively into a combat stance; but relaxed as she realized who the speaker was. Misty stood motionless, her face clearly visible save eyes which were shrouded in shadow. 

**"Why do you hurt me?"**

Momentarily unnerved by Misty's voice, which was undoubtedly her's, yet was not, Meia ignored Misty's question and asked one of her own." Where are we Misty? What is this place?" Yet she did not reply, in fact Misty did not seem to react at all. 

**"Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?" **A new voice spoke from the darkness, this time from her right. Meia spun around once more to find herself looking at the minute form of Karu-chan. 

"Karu-chan? What is going on here?" 

**"Why do you hurt me?" **

**"Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?"**

"Why are you two asking me these questions?" Meia shot back, greatly unnerved. Tentatively, she backed away for her two questioners, only to be stopped as another voice spoke up from behind her. 

**"Tell me Meia, what happens when you run out of road to run to?" **

Before she realized what she was doing, her foot had struck Gascogne square on the head; yet she did not even flinch. 

Then the questions began again. 

**"Why do you hurt me?" **

**"Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?"**

**"Tell me Meia, what happens when you run out of road to run to?" **

She did not understand what was going on. Indeed she felt as if each question was a physical blow. Dropping to her knees she clutched her ears in a futile attempt to block out the unending questions, yet they continued. 

**"Why do you hurt me?" **

**"Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?"**

**"Tell me Meia, what happens when you run out of road to run to?" **

Faster and faster, the questions came, until there was no pause between each word- a never-ending chant that she could not block out. 

**"Why do you hurt me?" "Meia Onee-san, why do you hate me?" "Tell me Meia, what happens when you run out of road to run to?" **

"WHY ARE YOU ALL ASKING ME THIS?" She finally screamed, unable to take the questions any longer. 

Silence fell. 

Lifting her head, Meia gasped as she recognized the lone figure that stood before her. She found her voice failing her as green eyes stared into familiar green eyes. 

**"Because this is what you wanted," **Meia answered. 

***** 

**2:35 **

Hibiki sighed, unable to decide what to do a king of spades, a queen of spades, a jack of hearts, a jack of spades, and a ten of spades; an almost perfect hand. Now was he going to take the chance that his next card was going to be an ace, or even better, the ace of spades, or was he going to keep his double and attempt a full house… 

**2:01 **

"Gotta make a decision soon…" 

Hibiki grumbled a reply as he continued staring at his cards. _She always does this. Why can't she give me the time I need… anyway, where was I? _

**1:35**

"Time's passing Hibiki." 

"I KNOW! I KNOW!!"

Gascogne smiled at Hibiki's reply. It was nice to see that while many things had changed, some things remained the same; such as Hibiki ineptitude at playing poker. He was just too easy to read. Made things a lot of fun for her of course. 

**1:04 **

_Full house? Or try for a Royal flush? ARGH! I don't know!!! _

**0:35 **

Gascogne yawned languorously, drawing an annoyed growl from Hibiki who still fiddled with his cards. Stretching her arms, she got up and placed her cards facedown on the table. 

"Hey where you going? I still have thirty five seconds left!" 

Gascogne waved a hand dismissively, before turning and exiting the room. "Calm down, I'm just going to get me a cup of coffee." 

"Fine… as long as I get to keep this hand." 

Her only reply was to chuckle as she walked out of the room. 

**0:00 **

"YOSH!" Hibiki cried, his mind made up. Taking a look at the timer, he had made his decision just in time; so what if it had been at zero for the past five minutes. She didn't have to know. 

"You ready yet?" Gascogne said as she entered the room, carrying a cup of strong black coffee in each hand. Gingerly, she placed both mugs down as she sat down in her regular position on the other side of the table. "Here, I got you a cup." 

Hibiki stared suspiciously at the black liquid set before him. "What is that stuff?" 

"Coffee." 

Shrugging, he picked up the cup and took a gulp, and it took all his self-control not to spit the bitter liquid out again. Gascogne only laughed at Hibiki's expression, his face set in a tell-all grimace. 

"Too strong for you hmm?" 

Hibiki stared daggers at her before forcing himself to finish the rest of the cup. He was not going to let a challenge like that go unanswered. Of course that did leave him with an even more pronounced grimace after all was said and done. "Hah!" 

Gascogne seemed not to notice as she calmly sipped at her coffee. "You ready to make your decision yet?" 

"Yes." Hibiki predatorily grinned, the caffeine entering his system. He felt very awake, and very alert. Her joke had backfired, and now there was no way he was going to lose. "Give me one card…" 

As he looked at the card he drew, his grin grew. The nine of spades. While it wasn't the card he was hoping for, it would do just fine. "Yosh!" Hibiki shouted as he leaped to his feet, throwing the cards on the table, "Beat this! Straight Flush!"

"Five of a kind," Gascogne nonchalantly replied as she revealed her cards. 

The sound of Hibiki's forehead hitting the table was soon joined by renewed laughter from the manager of the register. 

Yes, some things never changed. 

***** 

Hibiki was grumpy, very grumpy. To be fair, he would have been asleep hours ago save for his new discovery concerning the side effects of caffeine. After an hour of futile twisting and turning, he was now resigned to not get any semblance to a normal night's sleep. Sighing in defeat, he trudged down the now familiar walkway to the lake. Throwing pebbles into the lake seemed a much more interesting prospect than merely sitting in his bunk. At least he'd be doing something. 

"Stupid Gascogne and her stupid coffee..." he grumbled to himself, stopping in mid-sentence as he realized that he wasn't alone on the beach. Sitting by the shore, Meia looked very small and forlorn as she stared out to the lake, chin resting on knees cradled to her body. 

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Hibiki nonchalantly asked as he walked the distance between them. Meia did not reply, rather she seemed not to notice him at all. Something was bothering her, he could tell, and getting annoyed would serve no purpose here, so sighing, he pushed his earlier irritation aside and sat down, albeit noisily, beside her. Picking up a stone Hibiki lobbed it into the blue expanse beyond, if only to break the monotony of the silence. 

*Plop* 

Another period of silence, another stone… 

*Plop* 

And another… 

*Plop* 

And so it continued… 

*Plop* 

*Plop* 

*Plop* 

"That's it!" Hibiki shouted suddenly, annoyed at the silence and the constant prodding from his conscience. "What is wrong with you woman? All you do is sit there like a statue. If you keep this up I'm going to get sad as well!" 

Once again her only reply was silence. 

"Women," Hibiki grumbled as he flopped onto the ground, arms splayed out behind him. "I give up." The silence returned, but this time Hibiki didn't even bother throwing stones to break it. _So be it, if she wants to act that way… _

"Why are you still here?" Meia whispered, her voice containing no malice, only sadness. 

Hibiki turned slightly, biting back the sarcastic remark that came unbidden to him. "I couldn't sleep, and I want to know what's wrong with you."

"Why?" Another whispered question.

"Because you're my friend. I don't like seeing my friends sad." Hibiki's voice became more serious as he continued; "I've had enough sadness in my life. I don't want to see people I care about be sad too."

"Why does it matter to you? Friends only bring pain." Her quiet voice unsure, "Why let people get close if they only hurt you?"

"What is with all the questions? I only want to help you," Hibiki flared, the whole question and answer thing beginning to annoy him. "Friends hurt each other, but friends also make life worth living. They can hurt you, but they can also give you strength, make you laugh. Didn't you learn anything from Dita…" Hibiki stopped in mid-sentence suddenly unable to continue.

Silence returned, yet this time both welcomed it. Much had been said, and while there was more still to be said, both were content on leaving it at where is stood. 

It would only be much later that they realized the significance of this night. For him, he would begin to question himself, and his actions. For her, she would realize that her walls had collapsed with one single realization.

_He doesn't want to see me sad… _

****

Lieutenant Juno Torres mentally kicked himself for agreeing to accept orientation duty for the new commander. At the time, it had seemed like an easy way to skip out on the more mundane things that he had to do; yet it had been anything but easy. It didn't help that he found himself intimidated to no end by the new commander either. 

Now, for the record, Juno was not one to be easily intimidated, in fact he hardly ever was. Yet as he watched the way that his eyes seemed to absorb every single detail going on around him, he couldn't help but feel unnerved. The commander walked with a certain single-mindedness that disturbed him. 

"Sir, this is your personal study," Juno said as he stopped in front of a pair of nondescript double doors. Surprised at the cool tone he managed to maintain despite himself, he was glad that his duty would soon be over. "The reports that you have requested prior to your arrival have already been sent to your personal folder for your perusal." 

Kiros nodded as he took the offered reports, hardly paying attention to the nervous lieutenant. He had noticed earlier that he intimidated the younger man, but it was not something he particularly cared about. Indeed, it suited him if those who worked under him were afraid of him. In his opinion, fear was not that far from respect, and infinitely more malleable. 

Indeed, he would have it no other way. 

A.N. Well hasn't this taken long enough? Sorry about that, I've actually been waiting awhile for my pre-readers, save that they all seem to have gone AWOL on me, so I've had to call up the auxiliaries *grin*. Anyways, this is still the un-preread version, so it'll be modified once my pre-readers get back to me. =) just kinda wanted to get this out there. Till next time.

Oh and btw, this chapter has been a heavily Meia centered one because I couldn't exactly have her all reclusive and introverted in one chapter, and open and caring in the next. Hope I pulled it off ok…

Next chapter – First skirmish, Ties newly born are sent through the trial of fire.

LaterZ,

Ken


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